Vegetarian Pho & Banh Mi (feat. my new favorite tofu)

Last month I got married, and went to California for a week-long honeymoon road trip.  The end of the road was San Francisco, and one chilly morning when Chris went running, I took myself out for breakfast pho.  I can see why it's a morning meal in Vietnam - hot broth is very comforting in lieu of a warm bed.

Denver has plenty of delicious, delicious Vietnamese food, but I would still like to get a pho broth down, since none of it is in our neighborhood.  Last weekend I gave it a shot for a group of friends, using this recipe.  I think it really does need fish sauce for the flavor to come out right, and vegetarian "fish sauce" is not too hard to find, so don't skip that if you can help it.  Also, leaving the broth in the fridge overnight before straining out the flavor elements helped the flavor a lot. 

On the night I served it, I brought the broth to a boil and briefly boiled bok choy leaves, small squares of tofu, and paper-thin slices of onion in it.  Serve spooned over hot noodles, with jalapeno slices, lime wedges, sprouts, leaves of basil, mint and cilantro (and the wonderful lemony ngo om if you can get it), sriracha, and plum sauce on the side.  

We also served banh mi with tofu for vegetarians and pork for meat-eaters.  This tofu banh mi recipe, which advises freezing your tofu and then caramelizing it with onions in simple syrup with pepper and fish sauce, is a stunner - definitely the best tofu I've ever made; I can't wait to repurpose it for the holidays.  Served on Vietnamese baguettes (which I understand have some rice flour in them so they're a bit more chewy) with cilantro, jalapeno, pickled carrot and daikon (which you can buy at a Vietnamese market and skip making your own), cucumber, and a spread of mayo + sriracha and small amounts each of melted butter, honey, and fish sauce.

Oh, and I forgot to mention!  Dessert was red bean cakes from the same Vietnamese bakery where I picked up bread, served w/homemade green tea ice cream.

Sadly, the only pic I took in the flurry of getting everything on the table was the herbs and such waiting to be tossed into bowls of pho:

Pumpkin Spice Pumpkin Seeds

You know those ideas that are pathetically simple, yet leave you wanting to run around your house fist pumping and yelling about how awesome you are?

That's only a Parady sister thing? Oh.

Well, this is one of those.

Last night I made this soup for my poor sick roommate, but only after the classic phone call to an older sister (you know this-and-this recipe that you made that one time? what if I did such-and-such to it?) that resulted in also adding squash to it at the end.

With the leftover squash seeds, genius was born.  Yes, the title of this recipe is a lie, because I couldn't resist that perfect alliteration. I didn't use pumpkin seeds, but YOU could and they would be AWESOME. *fist pumps all around*

Here's how it goes down, the simplest possible steps to feeling like a food master:

Clean seeds out of squash, rinse any leftover goo off of them.  Spread in the bottom of a baking pan.  Drizzle olive oil over the top.  Sprinkle cinnamon, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice on top.  Roast in oven until brown and crispy.  Eat whilst fist-pumping.

*As the sister who is consistently scolding the others for not taking pictures of food, I sincerely apologize for the lack of images in the post.  I was too busy basking in the brilliance. More impetus for someone else to make them, and take pictures!

Italian Fried Garbanzos with Crispy Leeks and Egg

The stretch from late spring through mid-fall was sort of a doozy for us Today I Cooked sisters.

After graduating from college, A got her first post-college job doing work on asset-based community development, said goodbye to many friends headed off on new adventures, and moved into a beautiful rental house. K passed her prospectus defense, taught in New Zealand, got married, and began a dissertation grant-writing bonanza. S did what she does best, taking on and winning complicated and intense legal battles while planning a New York City wedding that just *happened* to fall on the same weekend as Hurricane Sandy. And just like all of you who are reading, I'm sure, we were busy doing these things while trying not to be derailed by the shitty things that happen, like illness and fighting and now of course this storm, which caused so much pain for so many people who were not as incredibly fortunate as our family was.

So now it is November 1st, and S is on her honeymoon after getting on one of the last flights out of the city on Sunday. A is still stranded in New York, but safe and able to come home soon. And me? Well, I also got out of NYC on one of the last flights to clear the storm, but my sweet P is still stuck. So I've had a lot of quiet time, and today I realized that this will be the first month in which I have not flown in well over a year. 

All of which is a very, very long-winded way of saying that to celebrate the beginning of late fall and an upcoming period of relative calm and hopefully less shitty things, tonight I made a warming, filling, nourishing meal. 

Italian Fried Garbanzos with Crispy Leeks and Eggs

Note that I use canned garbanzos because I never go to the right places to buy them dried. I have no doubt dried would be better but canned works just fine. 

1 can garbanzos, rinsed and dried

1 leek, washed and thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

Handful of sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped

Whole-grain mustard

Fresh basil if available, shredded

Salt

Pepper

Italian Spices

Olive Oil

1 egg

Heat olive oil in a medium sized saute pan. Add sliced leek and minced garlic, increase heat until leeks begin to get crispy. Add the chickpeas and toss. Stir in chopped sun-dried tomatoes and generous amounts of salt, pepper, Italian spices, and fresh basil. Let fry for a few minutes, then pour into a dinner bowl. Stir in whole-grain mustard to suit your tastebuds...I was really generous with this and it was delicious.

Crack an egg into the same pan and fry to your liking. Add to chickpeas and enjoy! Would also be delicious with some good Gruyere or Parmesan melted over top and served over grains or greens.

Considerations for food allergies and ethics: dairy-free and gluten-free. Omit the egg for a vegan option.

Salted Oatmeal Cookies (Gluten Free)

I have not baked much over the past year. Especially not the kind of baking where I make random, super lazy guesses about how to adapt a recipe to be gluten free but still delicious.

Well, these cookies reminded me why that's worth doing. Chewy, chocolatey, and with just the right amount of sea salt sprinkled on type. And for all you gluten free bakers out there who are lazy like me, we're talking about just one flour. JUST ONE.

I started with this recipe posted on the Joy of Baking. No real reason, mainly because I am a lazy googler, too, and this came up right away.

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup coconut cream (I was trying to use this up. You could definitely substitute for another 1/4 cup butter, or some applesauce.)
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 egg
3/4 cup gluten free oat flour
1 teaspoon xantham gum
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups gluten free oats
1 high-quality milk (or dark or even white) chocolate bar broken into pieces
Sea salt for sprinkling

(Please note, I was out of vanilla. This didn't really matter but feel free to use some! Also, you could certainly add nuts or raisins but I am in the staunchly anti-nuts and anti-raisins camp so I'm not going to give you advice on how to do that.)

Preheat your oven to 350. Cream the butter, sugar, and coconut milk (if using) in your mixer. Add egg. Slowly beat in xantham gum, oat flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Fold in oats and chocolate by hand.

If you have time refrigerate your dough for 1 hour. P and I really wanted cookies, so we didn't do this with the first batch. They were a bit flatter than those that had been refrigerated, but still very delicious.

I used a rounded spoon to scoop out the dough. Form it with your hands a bit--it is a little crumbly when raw. Sprinkle sea salt on top, bake for about 14 minutes, and enjoy! Makes 2 dozen.

Considerations for food allergies and ethics: Well, we all know that being a vegetarian ain't so bad because you can eat all the cookies! These are no exception, however they are decidedly not vegan. Gluten free folks please enjoy, just make sure you are buying certified gluten free oats and oat flour.

**If you are NOT gluten free, just swap regular all-purpose flour in for the oat flour, omit the xantham gum, and use regular oats.

Polenta Pie with Beans & Rice

This post comes to you from one of our favorite Wyomingites! Abby is a serious gardener, a serious economist, a serious lover of historical fiction and romance novels, and a recent convert to mostly vegan eating (with some game meat thrown in for good measure--hey, we said she's from Wyoming). She was also the first person to ever successfully make a gluten-free pie for K, way back in 2007. < 3

Polenta Pie - vegan, gluten-free, serves 4

This recipe takes a little bit more doing than some...but it is worth it!  This is a really yummy and satisfying meal.  Essentially, you will be making a pie using polenta for the crust, a bean and rice mixture for the filling, and an avocado topping!

To start: Polenta crust

Bring 2 c. water to a boil and whisk in 3/4 c. polenta and 1/4 t. salt.  Stir constantly, for 10+ minutes, or until the polenta starts to goop together and pull away from the side of the pan.  Spoon the cooked polenta into a pie pan and spread it evenly over the bottom and sides of the pan.  Set aside.

Next: Bean and rice filling

Ingredients:

1 c. vegetable broth (K says use gluten-free broth if that is a concern, Pacific is a good brand)

1 c. water

1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes

1 small diced onion

1 c. short-grain brown rice

1 T. chile powder

1 can (15.5 oz.) or 2 cups drained/cooked black beans

1/2 c. salsa of your choice

Combine the broth, water, tomatoes, onion, rice, and chile powder in a saucepan and cook until the rice is done (all liquid is gone and the rice is tender).  This takes about 45 minutes.  Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350* F.

Once the rice is cooked, stir in the black beans.  Dump the rice and beans mixture into the polenta crust.  Spread the salsa over the entire combination.  Bake the pie for 30 minutes.

Last step: Avocado topping

Once the pie is done baking, set it aside to cool and whip up the avocado topping in the meantime.  All this involves is mashing an avocado in a small bowl with 4 t. lemon juice and 1/2 t. garlic powder.  Of course, if you are like me and an avocado LOVER, you'll want to double or triple this!  

Dish out the pie, top with a dollop of avocado goo, and enjoy!

Considerations for food allergies and ethics: Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, casein free if you use the right veggie broth. 

Green Bean, Chickpea & Potato Salad

I think potato salad is great. I love it fancy, like I made it last summer, served warm with asparagus and dressed with tahini. I like the kind you can buy at Safeway made with mustard. And P and I can both eat embarrassing amounts of my Aunt Kathie's version, which includes pickles.

Since this summer was a whirlwind and September is just a few days away, I figured I better squeeze some in before it is time to move on from summer salads. You know, move on to preparing fall soups while I pretend it is NOT over 110 degrees F outside. Sigh.

Because I was making this for the work week, I wanted it to be healthy and a good lunch option. You'll need the following:

2 medium sweet potatoes
8 small yukon gold, red, or purple potatoes
Several large handfuls green beans, ends cleaned
1 can chickpeas, drained
16 oz. plain greek yogurt
2 lemons
3 cloves garlic, diced
Fresh parsley
Good quality mustard
Salt
Pepper

Place your potatoes in a big pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Cook until they are soft but still firm. While the potatoes are boiling, blanch your green beans. (Bring water to a boil, add green beans, cook briefly, then run under cold water.)

After the green beans are cool, dice into small pieces. Add garbanzo beans. In a separate bowl, mix most of the greek yogurt, the juice of both lemons, minced garlic, and several generous squirts of mustard. Mix well, tasting as you go. Add salt, pepper, and minced parsley.

Once the potatoes are done, run under cold water. After cool, slice into smaller pieces. Add to the dressed beans and toss well. Season with more mustard, parsley, salt, pepper, or lemon as needed and enjoy.

Considerations for food allergies and ethics: Gluten free and vegetarian.

Chickpea-Celery Salad

Mostly lifted from Heidi, but soooooo yummy I can't help but share.  I made this once a few weeks back and couldn't wait to get more CSA celery and do it again:

Group One:
2 large handfuls shelled pistachios
1 handful dried currants
1 drained can chickpeas
2 TB lemon olive oil
Salt

Group Two:
1 bunch fresh celery (incl. leaves), finely chopped
1.5 cups finely grated parmesan
juice of 1 lemon
handful parsley leaves, chopped

Toss together and bake Group One ingredients in a bread pan in the toaster or oven at 300 until chickpeas begin to brown.  While still warm, toss with parmesan until it melts slightly, then toss in other Group Two ingredients.

Summer Tomato Soup with Jalapeño, Corn, and Peaches

Every summer since I moved to Phoenix, sometime around August I have become obsessed with hot foods prepared at high temperatures. After P and I returned from a 3,000+ miles road trip through Arizona, Utah, Montana, Idaho, and Nevada last week, I immediately made this delicious tomato and zucchini rice gratin. (Highly recommend it. A little labor-intensive, but I did everything in my cast-iron skillet which helped.) Then I baked some savory zucchini and sun-dried tomato muffins that I had hoped to post about, but sadly I didn't really like them.

Keep in mind it was 115+ for the past several days in Phoenix. Even our amazingly high-performing 1970s chiller was having a hard time keeping up. Lucky for me, and for you, on Tuesday the temperature dropped to around 106.  With that wave of cool air, haha, I was brave enough to go for heat again and make this delicious summer tomato soup. I've had it in my mind ever since we bought some roadside peaches from farmers in New Meadows, Idaho.

Ingredients

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

5 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 jalepeño, cleaned, de-seeded, and chopped

1 leek, thinly sliced (this was leftover from another dinner, you could leave it out)

2 ears of corn with kernels sawed off

1-2 peaches, sliced
Roughly 56 oz. of canned or jarred fire-roasted tomatoes (if using cans, look for cans free of BPA)

1 can coconut milk

3 Tablespoons butter
Juice of  1/2 lemon

Ground ginger

Sea salt

Crushed red pepper

Avocado, for garnishing

Sharp white cheddar, for garnishing

Process

Melt the butter in your soup pot. Add onion, garlic, jalepeño, and leek (if using), with a good shake of salt and crushed pepper and several good shakes of ginger. Cook on medium heat for 10 or so minutes.

In the meantime open all of your jars or cans of tomatoes. Pour into your soup pot, along with about 1/2 the can of coconut milk. Squeeze 1/2 lemon over the soup. Simmer for 10 or so minutes. Taste. At this point I used one of the empty cans to add water, and also added more spices and the rest of the coconut milk.

Add your sliced peaches and simmer for another few minutes. Then, immersion blend until the soup is fairly creamy, but with some texture. Add the corn kernels and stir well.

Serve with avocado slices and a good sprinkle (or blanket, ha) of sharp white cheddar.

Considerations for food allergies and ethics: Vegetarian and gluten free. Replace the cooking butter with olive oil and skip the cheese if you are vegan. 

Herbed Brown Butter on Angel Hair & Asparagus

Melt a stick (yeah....) of butter and toss in sage leaves, chopped chives, and the leaves of a few stalks of marjoram or thyme.  Heat on low until butter browns and leaves get crispy.  Add some pine nuts.  Pour over angel hair pasta and steamed asparagus, with shavings of parmesan.

Wilted Kale Salad with Lemon, Currants and Pumpkin Seeds

The CSA box is good for the creativity.  This week, we got kale, kohlrabi leaves, beet greens, and some others.  And this salad was my favorite thing I've made in awhile.

1.  Tear the greens up.  Halve about half a pint of cherry or grape tomatoes.  Juice a lemon (two if paltry) and finely grate about a cup of parmesan.

2.  Heat olive oil (citrus-flavored if you have some) and, when it's hot, toss in the greens and tomatoes and half a cup of currants.  Turn with tongs until the greens wilt and turn a darker shade of green and tomatoes start to just barely look cooked.

3.  Put the greens & tomatoes in a salad bowl and add the lemon juice, cheese and 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds.  Serve warm.  

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

I almost posted this recipe sans anecdote, and then I remembered Chris, munching happily on a tortilla strip, asking, "So what did you make these from?"  (Yep....... tortillas.)

Group One:
1 diced onion
3 thinly sliced carrots
3 thinly sliced celery stalks
2 tsp ea: Paprika, Cumin
1 tsp salt
2 Tb butter

Group Two:
2 cups cooked rice
1/2 can tomato paste
2 chipotles canned in adobo (deseeded and diced)
2 tsp adobo from can
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
**other diced veggies you want to sneak in (I had kohlrabi and summer squash)**

Group 3:
10 cups veg broth
1 TB soy sauce

Group 4:
Chopped cilantro, quartered limes, sliced avocado, feta or cotija cheese

Group 5
1 package fresh corn tortillas, sliced in strips
Vegetable oil
salt

Sautee Group One in bottom of sauce pan until soft, about 10 minutes, adding garlic from Group 2 about 5 minutes in.  Then add rest of Group Two and cook another 5 minutes.   Then add Group 3 and simmer.  Top with Group 4. 

Make tortilla strips (Group 5) by heating about 2 inches of oil in a deep frying pan, throwing strips in (careful not to splash yourself, and removing w/tongs to dry on paper towels once crispy (about 2 minutes).  Shake a little salt on while they cool.  Yum.  Add to soup and gobble. 

(Based on this recipe which includes chicken and is probably amazing for the meat-eaters!)

Chopped Lentil Salad

Between the two of us, P and I have traveled to New Zealand, Mexico, New Mexico, Texas, California, Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming in the last six weeks. (Mostly for work.) From this information alone, you can probably guess that we 1) are very fortunate to have fantastic jobs and 2) haven't been eating all that well. We're finally back together and though there are upcoming trips to Idaho, Missouri, Colorado, New York, North Carolina, and who knows where else, for now we are getting back to eating together and eating well. Using what we had on hand the other night, I came up with this fantastic, filling salad. 

I have used some self-constraint and titled this post "chopped lentil salad". But if no one on the internet cared about long titles, I would call this what it really is: "Chopped Lentil Salad with Tomatoes, Avocados, Spinach, Red Onion, Bacon and a Smoky-Lemony Hummus Dressing." Yesss.  

Make this however large or small you need it to be. I don't like chopped salads that feel like you are mainly eating bacon or eggs or whatever. For that reason I was heavy-handed with the spinach, tomatoes, and lentils, but as always you should make this to suit your personal preferences.  

Salad Components

Chopped fresh tomatoes (I used 1/2 container of baby heirlooms from Trader Joes and some of P's garden tomatoes)

Chopped avocado (1 small avo for us)

Chopped spinach (many large handfuls chopped into tiny pieces)

Lentils (I used about 1 cup of the pre-prepared container of lentils available at Trader Joes. A nod to "convenience", also known as "laziness and lack of planning".)
Chopped red onion (just a bit)
Cooked and chopped bacon (about 4 slices)
Thinly grated Parmesan cheese


Dressing Components
Several tablespoons hummus (plain or whatever kind you like)
Juice of one lemon
Smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to taste
Splash of olive oil


Dressing salad with hummus is super easy and another way to sneak in some protein. I also rubbed the lentils down with some additional lemon juice, smoked paprika, and olive oil.


Considerations for food ethics and allergies: Gluten free, but please check your hummus ingredients just in case. You could omit the bacon and this would still be delicious and vegetarian. If you are vegan or dairy free, omit the cheese and you're good to go!

Food from New Zealand Year Three and a Bit About Pavlova

For three summers in a row I've taught a study abroad program in New Zealand for undergraduate students from the U.S. I try to avoid romanticizing the country--it has extreme health disparities and environmental problems despite its squeaky clean image--but one thing I do love through and through is the food. Being a part of the Pacific Rim means that there is a lot of amazing Asian food available, and they also cater to food allergies so it's a delightful place to be gluten-free.

Poached eggs with potato cakes, spinach, and tomatoes

It is not that I've even had any extraordinary meals there. It's just that I love the day to day food. Lots of roasted veggies, amazing cheese and yogurt, asian flavors and spices, lentils and beans in every salad, kumara and squash aplenty, and fantastic chocolate. Yum. 

Unfortunately I spent a large portion of this trip with a very sick student in and out of hospitals, and that zapped my energy for taking photos and doing some of the things I would usually do while traveling. So, I didn't take as many food photos as the first year I went, but here are some shots of a beautiful dessert I had in Auckland, the country's largest city. The professor I taught with convinced me that we should spend our last afternoon grading in the city's space tower, where we had high tea. It was absolutely lovely. The photos are a bit blue, sorry!

Macaroons and other goodies

Kiwi fruit with chocolate and a mini Pavlova with preserved lemon

One new thing I learned this year is that Pavlova is a dessert that originated in New Zealand (or maybe Australia, I think this is contested). I am not a huge fan of meringue, but the owner of a country home that I stayed at may have changed that. She served us a Pavlova--which for those who don't know is basically meringue cake with a crisp outer shell and a soft, marshmallowy inside--that was absolutely delightful with homemade whipped cream and blueberries. In the photo above it was served with preserved lemon. I preferred the berries. 

Maureen, the lovely woman that I stayed with, has promised to send me the recipe. Until then, the best I can do is refer you to Shuna Lydon, who has a nice Pavlova recipe over at one of my favorite websites, Simply Recipes. 

See why I keep going back?

Pasta with Multi-Herb Pesto & Flash Fried Spring Veggies

CSA box conquered in one dinner:

A hailstorm thinned the proceeds for the first week of our CSA, so I won't go declaring victory over the piles of greens too loudly.  I found myself with a mix of relatively small quantities (about 5 sprigs each) of dill, parsley, cilantro, sage, and oregano, plus a lot of green garlic (scapes!  new to me!  curly and great-smelling!) and arugula.  I decided to blend them all into a pesto, and boy am I glad I did.

Heidi outlines the method for making pesto by hand here.  Basically though, you just need an ulu (or mezzaluna if you will) and about 45 minutes to chop, and chop, and chop, and chop.  Chopping by hand instead of with an electric blade really does lead to a whole different texture.  Plus, you know... wrist strength.... for.... better typing? 

I used all of the abovementioned herbs (though only a few leaves of the sage), and I am pretty confident that all kinds of other things - mint, tarragon, basil itself - would have blended just fine into the fresh springy flavor.  Instead of garlic cloves I used 3 of my scapes, and instead of parmesan I used a hard goat gouda (very goaty, great flavor with the herbs).  And of course, pine nuts:

After chopping, and chopping, and chopping, I finished with some lemon-flavored olive oil:

(I probably chopped for another 10 minutes after that pic....).  Then, I sliced a bunch of small red carrots; a small head of broccoli, and a bunch of asparagus into paper-thin ribbons, and chiffonade-d a few kale and kohlrabi leaves, then flash-fried these in very hot lemon olive oil with a little salt.  Tossed it all with fresh pasta as shown above.  Nothing like fresh veggies!!  <3

Farmer's Market Finds

I adore farmer's markets. I appreciate that they have the same feel wherever you are, yet each is unique. Most of all, who can complain about the opportunity to purchase local and fresh produce and products? Two friends and I decided to make good use of our Saturday and scout one in the area.

flowers from Maya's Farm (at the Farm at South Mountain)

I bought yellow heirloom tomatoes ( I love all the true colors of tomatoes), and already have made Simple Chicken with Tomatoes with those. I'm deciding what to do with my zucchini and carrots, purchased from the International Justice Mission's refugee farm. I may make a small zucchini boat, or zucchini bread when I finish my sugar fast later this week. I'm entirely open to suggestions or new recipes.

I made sure to buy a fresh baked loaf of bread, because I refuse to buy any with high fructose corn syrup. Lastly, I bought pasta that I always find at farmer's markets here and that is a personal favorite. I chose Spinach Basil Garlic, and plan to mix it with some garlic goat cheese and Queen Creek Olive Oil according to a tip from the owner of Pine, Arizona's Goat Creamery (where I bought the goat cheese earlier this summer).

What are some of your farmer's market finds from the summer? What do you plan to make with them?

peach cooler and raspberry lemonade popsicle made from fresh juice

Costa Rican Casado and Guanabana Batidos

Last summer, I studied abroad in Peru and Costa Rica for nine weeks total, an adventure I miss on a daily basis.  This summer, I'm braving the heat (read: whining a lot and attempting to resist the temptation of blasting the air-conditioning) in Phoenix.  I recently had dinner with two of my roommates from Costa Rica, and we decided to attempt to recreate our favorite Costa Rican meal.

why we really miss costa rica and wanted to make a meal to help us remember

Typical Costa Rican fare is simple, but delicious. When one goes out to eat in Costa Rica, one goes to a soda, or small family-owned restaurant.  For breakfast, there's gallo pinto, or rice and beans mixed together.  For lunch, there's casado, or a plate that usually consists of rice, beans, a small piece of meat (or vegetables, for vegetarian), and either plantains or yucca.  The plantains can either be maduros, soft and simmered in cinnamon and sugar, or tostones, crispy and fried in oil and salt.  For a drink, they serve batidos, which are fruit juice blended to make it frothy.  Guanabana, or soursop juice, is a popular pairing for casado. Here's what casado looks like when actually in Costa Rica:

my mouth is watering at the memory

For our recreation, I google'd like crazy.  I was surprised at the lack of recipes, but pieced together my own recipe from a large number of others.  In reality, each soda has its own version of casado, so this recipe is for the version I would serve, if I were to own a soda.  I can't guarantee it tastes exactly spot on, but the concept holds true.

For the Rice: 

Simmer diced onions and peppers and some garlic in a little oil until the onions are translucent.  Add one cup rice, mix until it's been covered with oil.  Add one cup water and cook as normal. Basmati is best.

For the Beans: 

Simmer diced onions and some garlic until onions are translucent.  Add a can of black beans and simmer until finished.

For the Side Salad: 

In Costa Rica, this is often cabbage with maybe just shredded carrot.  If you want to get really fancy, look up a Heart of Palm salad.

For the Tostones:

Take a plantain.  Slice it shortways, into pieces about half an inch thick.  Fry each in oil, about 3-4 minutes per side.  Remove from oil, flatten with either a spatula or all at once by pressing down with a plate.  Dip each in cold water before returning it to the oil for about one minute per side, until crispy.

For the Chicken:

I simmered chicken in a saucepan with chicken broth and more onions and peppers.  Seasoned with salt and pepper.

For the Guanabana Batidos:

Buy guanabana nectar from a store like Food City.  The kind we got came in a can.  All I did was pour it in the blender with a tad bit of milk and some ice, then blended until it was nice and frothy. It should separate quickly into juice and froth, you can continually stir it up before you drink it or drink it just that way.

So there you have it.  We found that this healthy dose of casado, along with a long round of looking at pictures and sharing memories, was the best cure for Costa Rica longing we could cook up here in the States.

Baked Poblanos & Portobellos

Bake 2 poblano peppers (de-seeded & sliced into quarters), about 8 baby portobellos, and a handful of tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic and sprinkled with salt, at 425 for an hour in a glass baking dish.   Then add 1 cob of corn kernels and some crumbled goat cheese and bake another 10 minutes.  Swipe a knife through the dish a few times to chop things up, and spoon over ravioli or corn tortillas. 

Warm Grape & Toasted Pita Salad

Completely addictive.  From Herbivoracious.

3 cups red seedless grapes, halved
3 thick pitas, chopped into 1/2 inch squares
6 oz ricotta salata, cubed or crumbled 
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp fresh or 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 TB freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 TB toasted sesame seeds
2 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and sumac to taste
Olive oil

Heat a 4 TB olive oil with red pepper flakes in a deep skillet.  Add pita squares and toast until light brown and crispy around the edges.  Move to a bowl.  Heat grapes in the same skillet, without adding more oil, until heated through and beginning to sizzle and lighten, about a minute or two.  Add grapes, cheese, and remaining ingredients to bowl.  Toss, taste, and adjust quantities of lemon juice, herbs and spices, and olive oil.  Serve immediately (or, if not possible, serve chilled). 

Paprika-Lime Butter for Corn

Mixed this up last night (for barbecue #2 of summer 2012), thinking of a Denver restaurant that serves grilled corn with a slice of lime, queso fresco, paprika salt, and butter.  It was yummy on the corn and I saw people spooning it over their shrimp skewers, as well.

Juice of 3 limes
1 TB paprika
1 tsp salt
1 TB finely grated parmesan (or any of a number of cheeses...)
3 TB melted butter

PS:  Annalise made a batch herself and unlike me, took a pic! Here ya go, corn in the background...

Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes with Blackberry Salsa

These little guys were my favorite vegetarian burger-replacement in many a barbecue.  (Thanks to K for sending me the recipe.)

Group One:
1.5 large (or 2 small) sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
1 tsp salt
2 tsp chopped garlic
olive oil

Group Two:
1 cup cooked red or black quinoa
1 cup  bread crumbs
1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
2 TB ea. chopped ilantro & basil
1 egg, lightly beaten

Group Three:
Chopped blackberries, cilantro, very fine slices of red onion and serrano pepper, lime juice, and salt.  

Cook your sweet potato and onion cubes in oil with salt for about 10-15 minutes in a large covered skillet - long enough to really soften those potatoes.  Then add the garlic and cook another minute or so.  Also cook your quinoa.

In a large bowl, mix the potato mixture (Group One) with the quinoa and other Group Two ingredients.  Mash together a little, pat into little cakes, and grill (or brown in a skillet).  Top with a salsa made of Group Three.  Next time, I may use them as veggie burger substitutes and serve with a bun and some condiments, but this salsa is great.

These quantities made about 8 cakes.

Caramelized Pear Ice Cream

Creamy dreamy very yummy ice cream from The Perfect Scoop.  I am informed that I should not even offer people chocolate sauce for this stuff, because it just detracts from the pear-ness (a little cinnamon and maybe a phyllo confection of some kind might be a better bet).  Here's what you do:

Peel and dice three ripe pears.  The smaller the dice, the easier the later steps.

Cover the bottom of a heavy nonreactive saucepan or skillet or what-have-you with 3/4 cup + 2 TB sugar.  Turn on medium high heat, and let the sugar melt and caramelize (you may want to stir gently when the edges start to melt to get the rest of it going). 

Once it is a deep amber color, add the pears.  The sugar will then seize up into pesky hard bits.  Do your best to get them to melt again by stirring and pressing into the pot with a heatproof spatula.  I find this is easier if you wait long enough (until that sugar really is amber and bubbly) to add the pears. (Properly caramelized sugar makes the flavor what it is, anyway).

Cook the pears in the sugar until soft, maybe 10 mins.  Remove from heat.  Add 1/2 cup heavy cream.  When that is mixed in, add another 1.5 cups cream, 1/8 tsp salt, and a few drops of lemon juice.  Allow to cool.  Liquify in a blender, then pass through a strainer to remove any pesky pear (or hard sugar) bits.  Chill overnight and blend according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

Amazing as it is, I might turn this into a custard next time.  Or add a ribbon of actual caramel.  If so, I will update this post accordingly.

By the way, if you want to make some pretty awesome ice cream without any machine at all, check this out.

Avocado-Grapefruit Salad

It's been awhile since I posted a straight-up salad.  I have to remind myself sometimes to blog things that I'd make again, even if they are not revolutionary New Recipes Nobody Has Ever Thought of Before.  So, Phoenix people, I realize you probably have all eaten this or something like it 1.5 million times, but allow me to marvel over it from (still-chilly) Colorado...

3 red grapefruits
3 avocados
Head of butter lettuce
2 handfuls pistachios
Feta
Olive oil, salt, soy sauce, white balsamic

Cube the avocados, tear the lettuce leaves, and remove the flesh of the grapefruits keeping it as intact as possible.  (If you don't mind pith you could leave some of that in, but I hate the stuff and try to remove it thoroughly.)  Reserve the grapefruit juice separately from the flesh, as you may not want to pour ALL of it on your salad.  Crush the pistachios a little. 

Toss the avos, lettuce, grapefruit flesh, feta, and nuts in a liberal quantity of grapefruit juice, a drizzle of olive oil, salt to taste, and tiny splashes of white balsamic and soy sauce.

Salmon With Peach Sauce

One of the ways that I am changing my life since graduating from college is taking advantage of the time that I have to cook more often and to eat healthier.  Along those lines, I recently decided I was going to cook some salmon, in the interest of becoming more of a contributor to this blog than various versions of chicken and rice.

Learning to purchase and cook salmon was an amusing experience that involved me accidentally calling big sister S (the vegetarian one) to ask her advice on purchasing salmon and googling how to remove fish scales (which landed me on the helpful page "Frequently Asked Salmon Questions". You really can find anything on the internet.)

The learning, however, was so worth it.  I had some leftover peach preserves from a friend's wedding in January (for favors, they canned their own peach preserves.  How adorable is that?) and yet another friend brilliantly suggested putting them on salmon.  I remembered that Robin Miller of Food Network (one of my favorite cookbooks is her Quick Fix Meals) often uses preserves and the like in cooking. I decided to utilize those preserves, and the result was delicious.  Here's what I did:

look Ma, I'm eating my greens

Purchased small wild Alaska salmon fillet from butcher at Safeway.  Preheated oven to 350 degrees.  Descaled it using this method found via internet searching.  Set in a piece of foil, drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil.  Wrapped in foil, placed on baking sheet.  Mixed a 2-1 ratio of peach preserves and soy sauce, respectively, in a bowl, until well blended.  After about 15 minutes of cooking, added preserves mixture to salmon. Cooked another 10-15 minutes until flaky, but not too dry.

I imagine this would be delicious with any type of fruit preserves.

There, one step closer to shedding the title of finicky little sister. ;)

Summer Dessert: Grilled Fruit & Ice Cream

My favorite variation:  Grilled peach slices served over vanilla ice cream with cinnamon and honey.  This was the ending to many bbqs last summer, and this summer I can make the ice cream myself, too! 

Also delicious:  Grilled strawberries or cherries over vanilla ice cream with reduced balsamic vinegar.  Grilled pineapple over chocolate ice cream with a little chocolate syrup. 

Warm Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas & Chard

Quinoa is a popular food here at Today I Cooked (and let's face it, across the food blogosphere). We like it with lentils, toasted and maple-y for breakfast, fried into quinoa corn cakes, as a flour for cake,  in tamales, served with roasted veggies and avocado, and lots of other ways, too. My sisters and I could subsist on cheese and carbs if left unchecked, so quinoa is a good high-protein option for us.

This is what you get when my camera is broken

I make variations of this salad regularly, because it is easy and delicious.

1.5 cups uncooked quinoa

2 tomatoes

2 lemons

1 large bunch chard

1 bunch green onions

2 shallots

1 15 oz. can chickpeas

2 tablespoons pesto

4 tablespoons hummus

Fresh Basil

Sea Salt

Start your quinoa cooking either in a slow cooker or on the stovetop. It cooks much more quickly than rice, so pay attention! Open and rinse chickpeas and add to a large serving bowl. De-stem and tear chard. Slice green onions and shallots. Chop tomatoes. Add all of it to a bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix pesto, hummus, and the juice of two lemons. Stir into beans/tomatoes/greens mixture. Once quinoa is done, add to bowl. Season with sea salt and thinly sliced fresh basil. 

Considerations for food ethics and allergies: Gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, soy free.

If you are like us and still have chard to use (see below), try this. Alternately, check out how my good friend Heather is dealing with this chard-knock life. 

Community gardening in the desert Southwest

Strawberry-Black Bean Tacos

After eating some of the best tacos I've ever had for brunch on a sunny Phoenix morning last weekend, I couldn't stop thinking of soft corn tortillas with savory black beans, and we wound up with the following dinner:

Corn tortillas (homemade if possible), with a dollop of black beans (try these, or, for a simple version, Amy's vegetarian black refried beans are good), topped with feta and a salsa of diced strawberries and avocados, tossed in plenty of lime juice and a little salt and honey.  I also threw some shredded basil on top.  Tasty!

Tangy, Garlicky Greens

The first and second weeks of May were a bit of a doozy for these sisters. The story goes something like this.

April 30th: Kate successfully defends her dissertation proposal but is also rejected from a major grant.
May 1: The first half of the family arrives from Alaska for an epic, and very hectic week of celebrating because Annalise is a rockstar college graduate!!!
May 2: The second half of the family comes in from Wyoming and A graduates!!! Sarah is busy in Denver doing some very serious lawyering and is very missed.
May 3: A series of parties/ceremonies ensue.
May 4: K's car breaks down. A's roommates are moving out and others are moving in. Lots of chaos.
May 5: More partying for A. K and mother try to buy all decorations for K's upcoming August nuptials and seriously fail.
May 6: A's sweet, beautiful childhood dog is hit by a car back in Wyoming and she doesn't make it. Everyone is so sad. Kindness from strangers who give the doggie a proper burial overwhelms us all.
May 8: K becomes very ill. She pushes through and goes with A and Mom to try on the-wedding-dress-that-is-sort-of-ugly-and-needs-much-fixing-oh-no.
May 9: K ends up in urgent care with strep and a stomach virus, because that's how she rolls.
May 10: The rest of the week is a wash of anti-nausea meds, gatorade, and too many episodes of Private Practice.
May 11: S's very serious lawyering ends for the week in a nerve-wracking way. She flies to Phoenix anyway, because....
May 12: The recovered K has an epic bridal shower and bachelorette party. A is in another wedding this day, but somehow she still makes it out to K's parties. All sisters also engage in various care activities for a sick grandmother. (Who is now doing better, thankfully.)
May 13: Country music dancing at a cowboy bar is going on still in the wee hours of the morning. Later, S flies back to Denver.
May 14: Everyone breathes a collective sigh of relief.

The one day not listed above? May 7th? On that day I cooked these greens, which we harvested from P's community garden plot. They were amazing, and provided a good dose of nourishment in the midst of some serious insanity.

Tangy, Garlicky Greens

Chard or kale, several large bundles
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1 medium or two small lemon(s)
4 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons butter
Nutmeg
Sea salt

Put 3 tablespoons of butter into a large soup pot and melt on simmer or low. Add 4 cloves of minced garlic, and let cook, still on low, for 30-45 minutes. The butter/garlic combo will become incredibly fragrant.

Meanwhile, wash and de-stem your chard and tear into large strips. Add to the pot with a tablespoon of water. Put the lid on the pot and let greens wilt for 5 minutes, stirring with butter/garlic. Add the juice of 1-2 lemons (depending on their size and strength and your preferences) to the greek yogurt. Stir over greens and add nutmeg and sea salt to taste. Serve warm and wilted, but not all the way cooked down. We ate it with this amazing soup and these delicious cocktails.

Considerations for food allergies and ethics: Vegetarian but not vegan. Gluten-free. Do not make if you have a dairy or casein allergy, but do remember that nutmeg and lemon are a good flavor pairing for greens even without the butter and the yogurt. Into slow food? I've grown chard in the extreme (and very different) climates of Arizona and Wyoming with great ease.

Simple Chicken and Tomatoes

I found this recipe on Annie's Eats near the beginning of the year, and it has rapidly become my staple, go-to recipe when I want a meal without too much fuss.  With tomato season approaching, I thought I'd post it, if anything to give our mother another use for all the fresh tomatoes she'll be growing soon.

Because I've made this so often, I am able to make variations on it easily and quickly, some of which I have maintained and will include in this recipe.  The main variation is to reduce the portion size, this is the amount I typically make for just myself, and often save half for later.  I also replaced butter with olive oil, but it's delicious both ways.

1 chicken breast

A handful of cherry tomatoes, (or 2 normal-size tomatoes in halves)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 Tbs. Oregano

1 Tbs. Paprika

1 Tbs. garlic

1/3 cup chicken broth or white wine

Flour

Salt and Pepper

While preparing the chicken and tomatoes, also prepare 1 cup rice.

Mix together olive oil (or butter) with oregano, paprika, and garlic, or other spices if desired.  Heat a frying pan with 1/4 of the olive oil mixture.  Slice chicken into strips, dredge each piece in flour, add salt and pepper to taste. Place chicken in frying pan, add more of olive oil mixture.  Cook until finished, about 8 minutes total.  Remove chicken from pan, set aside and cover to keep warm.  Add remaining olive oil mixture to pan and heat.  Add tomatoes, cook until they begin to char and burst.  Squeeze tomatoes for extra juice, add chicken broth.  Remove once broth is warmed and pour tomatoes and sauce over chicken and rice.  Serve immediately.

Grapefruit Gin and Tonic

Last night I went to sister K's for dinner, as our mother is still in town to celebrate my college graduation.  We ate yummy tomato soup and a delicious chard recipe I'm certain she will post later (if this meat-and-potatoes-gal can call it delicious, it must be posted).

To complement this just-right meal, my soon-to-be brother-in-law P made us some cocktails, and said I was welcome to share here:

Squeeze the extra juiciness out of an overripe grapefruit.  Add a shot of Bombay Sapphire. Add tonic.  Garnish with a grapefruit slice and a leaf of basil harvested from your very own community garden plot.

Cheers.

Rogan Josh Cauliflower

Inspired by today's Chipotle Honey-Roasted Cauliflower at Lunchimal.  Nice over jasmine rice.

Cut 1 large or 2 small heads cauliflower (the purple and orange kinds are sure pretty) into florets.  Toss in a large bowl with:

1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup raisins
2 TB melted ghee
4 TB rogan josh spice mix (paprika, garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, cinnamon, cardamom and a few other things...).
Salt 

Move onto a cookie sheet and bake at 425 for 45 minutes.

Roasted Eggplant Soup

Compliments to Deb, whom we all try not to rip off TOO often around here.  Lovely rich savory veggie flavor in this soup; can't wait to make it with fresh tomatoes.

Brush 1 eggplant (peeled & halved), 3 large meaty tomatoes (halved), 6 cloves garlic (peeled), and one medium onion (halved) with oil and bake on broiler pan at 400 for 45 minutes, until eggplant is thoroughly soft and brown.  (Check garlic periodically so it doesn't burn, it may need removing sooner.)

Heat 4 cups of your preferred soup stock.  When the veggies are done, plop them in wholesale along with 2 tsp each of thyme and cumin.  (You might peel the tomatoes at this point if you're up for it.)  Simmer for 45 minutes or until onion is soft, then blend with immersion blender or in batches, and top with a crumbly white cheese (my choice: ricotta salata).  

Wild Rice, Asparagus, and Hollandaise

.... I guess that's self explanatory, eh?  Wild rice, topped with thin tender steamed asparagus spears, topped with a poached egg, topped with hollandaise and, if you like, sriracha.

Mashed Avocado Sandwiches

Mash two avocados (for two sandwiches) and mix in some reduced balsamic vinegar and salt.  Slice 2 thick pieces (each) of crusty white bread.  Top one slice with mashed avo and roasted tomatoes (from deli or homemade).  Top the other slice with thin slices of nutty white cheese (eg Piave).  Toast well.  Add some bitter leafy lettuce and fresh dill, top avo slice with cheese slice, and gobble.

Gin for Wimps (aka Lemon Honey Fizz!)

So, I don't think anyone will be upset if I let slip that we are not known for holding our liquor in this family.  (One of the best voicemails I ever got was from a certain sister who shall go unnamed, smashed to the point of helpless laughter on... a single margarita.)

Anyhoo, the reason I am telling you all this:  Our mom (whose birthday is today!  <3 ) made her way down to Denver to visit me for Easter weekend, and she came bearing a drink recipe.  The ingredients were lovely, but I could tell at a glance that I was gonna be adjusting the ratios.  So here are two versions:  The recipe she brought, for normal folk, and the one we made, for people who are related to us, former nuns who have recently gone civilian, and so forth.

Normal People:

4 oz gin (about 1/2 cup)
1.5 oz freshly squeezed lemon
1 oz honey sauce

(To make honey sauce:  Bring equal parts honey & water to a simmer, stir till honey is dissolved.)

Mix over ice in cocktail mixer; strain; serve.

Nuns Etc.:

4 oz gin
3 oz freshly squeezed lemon
3 oz honey sauce

Mix over ice in cocktail mixer; strain; fill glass to brim with fizzy water just to make SURE you don't taste that gin.  ;-)

Mezze Quinoa Salad with Lentils

Last week was really rough. I messed up an important talk, had something rather sad happen in the context of my dissertation, barely slept, and let it all send me into a deeply anxious tailspin. None of this was aided by the fact that besides that delicious thai soup I really didn't eat anything besides rice cakes, lemon cake, chocolate, popcorn, pineapple, and coffee. Fail.

After recovering over the weekend with help from my sweet P, who made me fresh carrot juice and took me out for a lovely birthday dinner on Saturday, I'm hoping this week can go better. And I'll be well-armed with a delicious mezze quinoa salad with lentils to help with that whole nutrition thing.

This is basically my version of tabbouleh (gluten-free), beefed up with lentils. So tasty, so healthy.

Ingredients

1.5 cups dried quinoa

1/2 to 1 cup cooked lentils

1 shallot

1 bunch green onions

3 cloves garlic

1 jalapeno, de-seeded

1 container grape or baby heirloom tomatoes

3 lemons

Parsley

Cilantro

Cumin

Red Pepper flakes

Salt

Black Pepper

To Make

Cook quinoa and lentils. I actually used pre-cooked lentils that I bought on sale at Safeway. Yes that is embarrassing, but it's also the truth. I cook quinoa with equal parts water over medium-high, with a glug of olive oil added in. You are supposed to soak and rinse it beforehand, but I never do and I have never tasted anything off. Up to you!

Meanwhile, thinly slice your shallots and add them to a big bowl. Squeeze the juice of all 3 lemons over the shallots and add a generous pinch of salt and another pinch of pepper. Let marinade. Chop your garlic, add to bowl. Clean and slice your jalapeno, add to bowl. Thinly slice your green onions, add to...ok you get it. Finish up with the tomatoes, the parsley, and the cilantro. Mix all together with quinoa and lentils, and add cumin, salt, and pepper to taste.

Serve with feta crumbled on top. I scooped it up with some delicious gluten-free crackers.

Considerations for food allergies and ethics: This is gluten-free, vegetarian, and unless you serve it with feta, vegan.

Thai(ish) Indian(ish) Soup with Chicken and Mushrooms

After attending three academic conferences spread out over 9 days in London, I came home in need of serious nutrition. Having eaten some amazing Thai and Indian food while away, I had a combination of chickpeas, coriander, coconut milk, and ginger on my mind. These are all incorporated here along with my new favorite broth combination of coconut milk and fire-roasted tomatoes.

As a bit of an aside, P and I have basically turned into functional vegetarians. We prepare meat at home only about once a month, I would say, but do eat it while out. For some reason today I really wanted some chicken, but you could easily omit the meat and add more veggies for a nice vegan soup.

Ingredients

Glug of olive oil

1 large sweet yellow onion

5 cloves garlic

1 large bell pepper (I chose a mild yellow here)

3 cups vegetable broth

3 cans fire-roasted tomatoes (BPA and all. I wish I could find fire-roasted tomatoes in a glass jar)

2 cans chickpeas (much better to use dried, but I was all out)

1/2 can coconut milk (some places you can get this in a box now...avoid the BPA if you can)

1-2 chicken breasts, pre-cooked (optional, replace with more beans if you are veg)

4 large handfuls baby portabella mushrooms

1 lemon

Salt

Red pepper flakes

Black Pepper

Ginger

Coriander

Curry

To make

Pour a glug of olive oil into a large pot and turn the burner on to medium. Chop 1 large onion and 5 cloves garlic and add to your olive oil. Next, chop 1 large yellow pepper. Add this to the onion and garlic mixture. Season it all very liberally with salt, pepper, ginger, coriander, curry, and red pepper flakes. Now, add 3 or so cups of broth and let simmer while you chop 4 large handfuls of baby portabellas or another meaty mushroom into medium-sized pieces.

After adding mushrooms, stir in your fire-roasted tomatoes and chickpeas. Shred your chicken (I recommend cooking beforehand). Finally, pour 1/2 can coconut milk into the broth. Add more ginger, curry, coriander, salt and pepper to taste (I had to add a lot more!). Finally, squeeze the juice of one large lemon into the soup and stir. Let simmer for 30 minutes, then enjoy.

Considerations for food allergies & ethics: If you omit the chicken, this soup could be vegan. It is dairy free and gluten free, so long as you use a gluten free broth. Pacific brand is my brand of choice for broth.

Ed.: Photo by Sarah of her version of this soup - which, in her opinion, is a particularly amazing Katelyn concoction!

White Pepper Ice Cream

(Actually multicolored pepper ice cream, but Chris, the requestor of this ice cream, based his request on the song of the above name, so....)

How's this for an awesome / so-awesome-I-feel-guilty birthday present:  Ice-cream maker! And accompanying recipe books! 

This was my first shot and it is yummmmmmmy.  Since the actual peppercorns are strained out after infusing the custard for awhile, they just leave behind a bright, kickin' peppery essence.  I'm thinking we'll eat this with strawberries and a little balsamic.

100% taken from The Perfect Scoop ice cream cookbook.  Actually, NPR already put it on the interwebs, so I'll just leave ya with the link:  Pepper Ice Cream.  If you've got the tools, give it a shot!  If not come over and I'll make you some.

Vegetarian Sushi-sans-Nori

How's that for a confusing name?  It's late, and I can do no better.  Basically, I used Heidi's method for making sticky rice balls, but made them with plain sushi rice, filled them with delicious things, and ate them like sushi.  Super yummy dinner, will be super yummy lunch tomorrow!

And before I lay out the basic method here, a complete digression:  Vegetarians, if you are ever in Austin, TX: in the name of all that is green and leafy go here and let them serve you veggie sushi of their choice.  One of the best meals I've ever had.  Mouth unicorns!

So anyway, rice balls / noriless veggiesushis / excuse to play with your food:

1.  Make 2 cups sushi rice in rice cooker (this will be enough for 2 for dinner with maybe 1 lunch portion left over). 

2. Dice up some combination of the following, or, you know, other things:  Eggplant, red pepper, asparagus, tofu,  grape tomatoes, portobellos, avocado, mango, cucumber, chives.  Other fruits could also be delicious.
(I diced up some of all of these and had way, way, way too much filler for my rice, so unless you're going to make a triple batch for a party, be decisive.  I highly recommend the tomatoes and mango and avo along w/1 or 2 meatier things, though.)  You want proper 1/2 inch dice, no bigger or assembly will be a pain. 

3.  Toss the above, except avo/mango/cuke, in a mixture of sesame oil (or sesame chili oil if you have it), chopped garlic from a jar, lemon juice, soy sauce, sugar, or whatever else floats your vaguely Asian flavor boat.

4.  Spread your marinated cubes evenly over a broiler pan. Turn on your broiler, and place your broiler pan such that one end is under the flame, which if your oven is like mine will reach about 1/4 of the pan at a time.  Broil that segment of the pan for 5 minutes, then scoot down to the next 1/4 and repeat (this is properly done w/oven door open as I only recently learned...).

5.  When rice is done, mix in rice vinegar to taste (about 2 TB) and let it cool some.  Then, make an assembly line with filling ingredients (broiled veggies and avo, mango et al) and the rice, and maybe some sesame seeds to roll the riceballs in if you like. 

6.  Here is the key thing:  Do Not endeavor to make rice balls in your hands, OK? Get a piece of plastic wrap, put it in your palm, and plop a tablespoon or two of rice on there.  Place a few yummy bits of things (tomato + asparagus + mango.... avo + eggplant + cuke... you get the picture) on top of the rice, then gather the saran wrap around it into a little packet, squeeze into a ball, unwrap, plop on plate, repeat.  (For pictures, see link to Heidi's recipe above.)

7.  Serve like sushi with soy sauce/wasabi/ginger.  Gobble gobble.

PS: I also made this, the cabbage equivalent of a latke, but it was kind of meh. Would be better served with plain yogurt and a side of fresh fruit for brunch, or something. 

Cabbage Soup & Soda Bread

Belated St. Pat's at our house tonight.  I did the easy part (the soup), Chris made the bread in a cast-iron skillet and put on some Susan McKeown, and all we lacked was a Guinness. 

Ed. 3/22/14: Photos added after another St. Pat's with the same meal.

Soda bread:  Chris made this recipe.  It had a great crust and texture and the fragrance filled the whole house.  I wish we'd've melted the cheddar slices on top before eating, but it was plenty tasty with the soup and sliced apple and non-melted Irish cheddar.  Can't wait for another slice for breakfast.

Soup:  I started with this recipe of Heidi's, but ended up doing the following slight variation. Simple, light broth with tender strips of cabbage.

1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 a cabbage, cored and cut in 1/2 inch ribbons
1 cup white beans  (don't know what kind I grabbed from freezer, it's all good)
Veggie bullion or broth
Salt, fresh dill, white balsamic vinegar
Olive oil & grated parmesan

Soften the onion & garlic in olive oil over medium low heat. Add salt and 4 cups broth, bring to a boil, add cabbage and beans, simmer until cabbage texture is just right. Add dill and a splash of vinegar, adjust salt. Serve topped with parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.